This is the same chart as I made yesterday except, in addition to the colored bars which represent the age when they become president (and shows the full 8 years of their term), I ALSO overlaid the average life expectancy* (yellow diamonds) for that candidate based on the year they were born (I couldn’t make Google sheets do it so had to use Excel instead).

Obviously as time goes on, life expectancies have been increasing so I find it encouraging that most of the oldies running here are much closer to their average life expectancies than Reagan was. As such, depending on the problems that Reagan did or didn’t have, it seems that this is a much smaller concern for us going forward with this lot (except for maybe Bernie who is only slightly below his average than Reagan was for his (24 years vs. 27 for Reagan)).

Ok, here is a view by age. The bars represent their age when (if!) they become president and shows the full 8 years of their term.

There are basically 3 groups here – the first are the kids, in their late 30s/early 40s, they would be younger than JFK by 4-5 years if they win to become the youngest US president by far. The mid-tier, from their mid-50s to late 60s makes up the bulk of the bunch. Finally, the oldies will be in their late 70s or older when they start. Elizabeth Warren would be the oldest president ever if she went 2 terms and Bernie would be the oldest president ever on day 1!

Frankly, I didn’t realize that Trump was older when Reagan when they started, so if he serves 2 terms, he will be the oldest president we have ever had.

I feel like I’m a little late in getting up to speed on the rolling circus that will be the Democratic field for president. Working on some interesting visualizations… here is a start looking at prior government experience…

My DVD of Deliverance has a preview for White Lightning which I have been meaning to check out. The recent passing of Burt Reynolds plus a little free time over the holidays has given me good excuse to do exactly that and if I had to sum it up in one sentence – this has GOT to be the most redneck movie I have ever seen in my entire life!

This movie had everything that a self-respecting redneck could ever possibly want. Continue reading →

I really did want to like Skyscraper. The Towering Inferno and Die Hard were classics from their day and the prospect of them getting together and having a baby was exciting. Moreover, I like the Rock, he’s personable, has good comic timing and is damn believable as an action hero. All the pieces were there for a fun blockbuster romp so the fact that I walked out of that experience distracted with trivialities and not enjoying the smell of what the Rock is cooking was very disappointing.Continue reading →

Both Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke and Rafael Edward Cruz joined the federal legislature representing Texas in 2013 – Beto in the House and Cruz in the Senate. Both are now vying for the next term of Cruz’s job in the Senate and the fact that a Republican incumbent in Texas has agreed to debates show just how tight things have become.

Ready Player One
It’s The Matrix if you replaced all of the characters with teenagers. Frankly, I can’t think of anything that is improved by replacing experienced professionals with teenagers.

Actually after seeing RP1, I re-watched all 3 Matrix movies and despite the fact that they are almost 20(!) years old, they have aged remarkably well. Surprisingly, the Animatrix has not aged well.

Rampage
It’s a movie based on a video game which was based on more movies. It’s so tired and derivative that the Rock looked like the only presence in the theater who was having any fun, and that included all the other actors, the CGI monsters and the audience.

Solo was underrated. Was it the best Star Wars movie? No, not even close – but it was still a good enjoyable movie and definitely worth a see.

Mission Impossible – Fallout
What is it with Tom Cruise and running? All of his movies have extended scenes of him running and this one does not disappoint either. No jumping, no dodging, no weaving left to right… just running as fast as he possibly can… in a straight line… alone. Is he perchance spending the rest of his life compensating for losing out on a part in Chariots of Fire?

I will say tho, my inner “internet nerd” was very excited to see this movie just to experience the other side of Mustachegate. For those not caught up on this little side show… just prior to the filming of Mission Impossible, Henry Cavill had finished filming in Fox’s Justice League as the clean shaven Superman. Subsequently, Justice League went through a director change and new leadership desired additional footage and had to call the actors back. Well, filming on MI was in full swing at this point and MI’s studio Paramount wouldn’t let Cavill shave the mustache that he grew for MI so Fox shot the new JL scenes with a hirsute Cavill and then had the mustache digitally removed. The CGI was pretty poorly done and it resulted in some pretty creepy “uncanny valley” scenes (you know, when the CGI is good, but not good enough for you to know it isn’t fake).

Anyways, back to the original point, Mission Impossible was not a perfect movie – the helicopter scene at the end was a touch long and not having seen the previous couple of MI movies, there were a few too many characters who you didn’t know exactly where they fit in but overall it was solidly entertaining summer blockbuster fair.

Heard this on NPR on the way into work… The Ruby Red Slippers from the Wizard of Oz, stolen for 13 years, have been recovered. It’s recovery is timely because… (wait for it)… these are the shoes you want to wear when you’re serious about a witch hunt.

In the new Bob Woodward book, Fear: Trump in the White House, he vividly quotes Reince Priebus on the chaos of the Trump White House’s decision making. “When you put a snake and a rat and a falcon and a rabbit and a shark and a seal in a zoo without walls, things start getting nasty and bloody. That’s what happens.”

I flew to Salt Lake city earlier this year on Frontier airlines. Imagine my surprise when I opened the window to discover my companion outside the plane, a twenty foot squirrel staring me down from the end of the wing.